Average PC Plagued With 28 Pieces Of Spyware

EarthLink and WebRoot Software survey more than a million systems.

The average computer is infected with nearly 28 pieces of spyware, according to a report released Thursday by ISP EarthLink Inc. and WebRoot Software Inc., a message privacy and protection provider. Over the three-month period from Jan. 1, 2004, to March 31, 2004, EarthLinks and WebRoots spyware and adware detection software sniffed through over a million systems and found more than 29 million instances of spyware.
"While most spyware we found was adware-related and relatively benign, its disturbing that so many of the more serious system monitors and Trojans were uncovered," said Matt Cobb, EarthLinks vice president of core applications, in a statement.